bt 0084 technical communication (practical)...

BT 0084 Technical Communication (Practical)

Contents

Guidelines for Conducting Practical Exercises i - iii

Exercise 1

Technical Writer 1

Exercise 2

Technical Writing 4

Exercise 3

Audience Analysis 6

Exercise 4

Research Interviews 9

Exercise 5

Technical Writing Structure 12

Exercise 6

Technical Writing Style 14

Exercise 7

Technical Communication Editing 18

Exercise 8

Systems Development Life Cycle 22

Exercise 9

Technical Communication Ethics 24

Exercise 10

Grammar Intel 26

Edition: Spring 2009

BKID – B1094 26

th Oct. 2009

Exercise 11

Writing Datasheet 28

Exercise 12

Brochure Writing 31

Exercise 13

Writing Business Plan 34

Exercise 14

Writing Abstract 36

Exercise 15

Writing Project Report 40

Exercise 16

Writing Instruction Manual 43

Acknowledgments, References & Suggested Readings 45

Model Question Paper

Director & Dean

Directorate of Distance Education

Sikkim Manipal University of Health, Medical & Technological Sciences (SMU-DDE)

Board of Studies

Dr. U. B. Pavanaja (Chairman) Mr. Nirmal Kumar Nigam

General Manager – Academics HOP – IT

Manipal Universal Learning Pvt. Ltd., Bangalore SMU-DDE, Manipal.

Prof. Bhushan Patwardhan Dr. A. Kumaran

Chief Academics – Manipal Education Research Manager (Multilingual)

Bangalore. Microsoft Research Labs India,

Bangalore Dr. Harishchandra Hebbar Mr. Ravindranath P. S.

Director Director (Quality)

Manipal Centre for Info. Sciences, Bangalore Yahoo India, Bangalore

Dr. N. V. Subba Reddy Dr. Ashok Kallarakkal

HOD-CSE Vice President

Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal IBM India, Bangalore

Dr. Ashok Hegde Mr. H. Hiriyannaiah

Vice President Group Manager

MindTree Consulting Ltd., Bangalore EDS Mphasis, Bangalore

Dr. Ramprasad Varadachar

Director, Computer Studies

Dayanand Sagar College of Engg., Bangalore.

Content Preparation Team

Content Writing Content and Language Editing

Ms. Sachita Nandagopal Ms. Aparna Ramanan

Former Principal Assistant Professor - English

CMR Centre for Media Studies SMU-DDE, Manipal.

Bangalore

Insuctional Design

Mr Kulwinder Pal

Assistant Professor – Education

SMU-DDE, Manipal.

Edition: Spring 2009

This book is a distance education module comprising a collection of learning material for our

students. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced in any form by any

means without permission in writing from Sikkim Manipal University of Health, Medical and

Technological Sciences, Gangtok, Sikkim. Printed and published on behalf of Sikkim Manipal

University of Health, Medical and Technological Sciences, Gangtok, Sikkim by Mr. Rajkumar

Mascreen, GM, Manipal Universal Learning Pvt. Ltd., Manipal – 576 104.

Printed at Manipal Press Limited, Manipal.

‘Technical Communication – Practical’ (BT 0084) is a two credit subject of

fourth semester in B.Sc. IT program, and it is a complimentary subject to the

‘Technical Communication – Theory’ (BT 0071)

Technical Communication has existed as long as there have been scribes.

Technical writing is the skill, which brings expertise to the common man’s

home, making it possible for everyone to use anything from a universal

remote to a super-complicated machine, safely and smartly. In the 21st

century where man walks with his machine, a technical writer is much

sought after and with skill and expertise can walk up the career ladder really

fast.

In this particular practical subject, special care has been taken to include

exercises to sharpen your skills in technical communication. There are 16

exercises, which expose you to different areas in technical writing like

datasheets, brochure writing, scientific analysis, abstract writing, and project

reporting, technical manual writing among others.

General Objectives of studying the subject

After completing various exercises of this practical subject, you should be in

a position to:

demonstrate skills and knowledge necessary to succeed as a

technical communicator.

identify and utilize skills involved in technical communication.

write and demonstrate expertise in various areas of technical writing

including datasheets, brochure, and abstracts among others.

demonstrate time management, and observational skills.

judge the types and needs of audience in effective technical

communication

The subject demands understanding of basics of English grammar and a

flair for writing.

SUBJECT INTRODUCTION

Technical Communication (Practical) Exercise 1

Sikkim Manipal University Page No.: 1

Exercise 1 Technical Writer

Objective: The idea behind this exercise is to understand what technical

communication is all about. A technical writer is someone who understands

a subject thoroughly and is able to communicate it to the correct level. There

hasn’t been a time when a technical writer did not exist. This exercise will

help you take the thought forward.

After undertaking the guided exercise, you should be able to:

identify a technical writer

explain the skill set required to be an effective technical writer

The Significance of Technical Communication

Technical communication or writing is the art and science of making

technical information easier to understand to the level of people it is aimed

at. It may address a range of people from the common man to the gizmo

freak who understands the datasheet. Technical communication is vital in

today’s world; imagine what we would do without that manual, which tells us

what exactly to do or not to do with our DVD player or food processor.

Technical writing has five essential skills:

1. Facility with technology: A technical writer must have a technical bent

of mind, a faculty to learn technicalities that he or she is not aware of.

Writers have to be gadget savvy, be a netizen with the ability to navigate

easily through technical jargon.

2. Ability to write clearly: The ability to understand technology and then

present it to various levels in simple and easy to understand language of

the audience is vital.

3. Talent to present ideas graphically: You know what they say; a

picture is worth a thousand words. And since the human mind likes the

idea of instant gratification, a picture tends to communicate more and in

a more interesting way, be it a photo, an illustration or a graph. So get

creative and make your writing more effective.

4. Patience to troubleshoot: Think about this one, what is life all about…

hmm problems anyone? Sure right. Its about putting a problem in

perspective, in context, thinking about what the answer could be or

where could one go to get an answer, sounding off a few people to get a



few second opinions before analyzing them and coming up with an

answer, which suits you. Never underestimate the power of your own

mind, all you have to do is persist and insist that it comes up with an

answer and it will!

5. Ability to interact with cross functional teams (CFTs): A technical

writer is not automatically expected to be an expert but you are definitely

expected to have the ability to interact with experts, with people of a

cross functional team and the ability to ask questions with the

expectation to understand and then communicate the same in your

write-up.

Work Sheet

1. Define a technical writer.

2. What does a technical writer write: List any 10.



3. Design a technical writer’s tool list/skill sets while writing a technical

document.



Exercise 2 Technical Writing

Objective: The idea behind this exercise is to actually do a bit of technical

writing, thus applying theory to practice. This exercise will help you to build a

basic framework, list the skill sets required while writing a user manual and

come up with something that no one can do without – a gadget user

manual.


write a user manual for any gadget

Indicators of excellence in technical communication

A technical writer does not necessarily need to get creative but needs to

master the art of honest, bare to the bones writing. It’s not about giving the

audience flowery phrases or all the information in the world, but to get it

exactly right and absolute.

Here are the seven basic steps you need to know.

1. Honesty: Write what you know, what you understand and do not

mislead the readers. Give exactly the right amount of information and

chuck the tendency toward wordiness.

2. Clarity: What you do not understand, you cannot communicate. Be

clear in what you have to say, make sure that the words you are using

are saying exactly what you want to say.

3. Accuracy: Double check your facts. Contact your SME, go over

existing information, do all that you have to do to ensure that you are

giving your audience the truth and nothing but the truth.

4. Comprehensiveness: The writer should ensure that the document

he/she is writing is complete – from the beginning to the end – this

writing is about giving the reader complete information about what the

subject is all about. Therefore, start at the beginning; give the reader an

introduction, the subject in its entirety, and the conclusion, so that the

information can be used safely, effectively and efficiently.

5. Accessibility: The document may be lengthy but the information need

not be. Make sure that the reader is able to navigate efficiently and

instinctively to the information on the parts he needs. Break it all down

to information chunks on single parts to make up the whole.



6. Brevity: Technical communication is about effective communication,

not about overloading the reader with information. Keep it brief, keep

out verbosity and think in bits and pieces. It’s more like being on twitter

and not on a blog.

7. Professionalism: Remember that a standard style sets an organization

or writing apart from the rest. A style is set for a reason; therefore,

always follow the rules where they apply.

Work Sheet

1. Keep in mind all the indicators of excellent writing and write an

user manual for a gadget of choice. Ex TV, Refrigerator, DVD

player, computer etc.



Exercise 3 Audience Analysis

Objective: The idea behind this exercise is to be able to identify the

audience. A technical writer must know whom he/she is writing for. The

document will not make sense unless the audience is identified and

understood. The writer should be able to distinguish between the types of

audience and judge the needs of the audience in effective technical

communication.


identify the type of audience

write material based on the type of audience

Basic classification of readers

There are two basic classifications of readers. They are:

i) Primary audience: People who directly respond to your documents.

They use the information given by you to do their jobs, act on your

recommendations etc.

ii) Secondary audience: People who do not respond to the document

directly, but may influence the primary users.

You, as a writer must first identify the purpose, the educational background

and the information needed, before writing.

It is important that the writer research the audience. There are

basically four levels of audience.

1. Technicians: These are the people who build, operate, maintain, repair

and troubleshoot the materials and products that the experts design and

visualize. They have a high technical knowledge, which is of a practical

variety.

2. Executives: These are the people who work with the experts and the

technicians, as well as the product and materials created by them.

Thus they make business, economic, administrative, legal,

governmental, and life changing decisions.

3. Non-Specialists: These have the least knowledge but their interest is

monumental because they would either want to buy the product or have

already bought them and are looking for practical instructions and

information, which will tell them what the product can or cannot do.



4. Experts: These are the people who know all about the subject, the

product and the theory. They can teach you all. Mostly, it is not that the

technician or a non-specialist is trying to understand what the expert

knows, it is more like that the writer has to find a way to communicate or

simplify what the expert wants to tell the audience or pass on the

knowledge at the level it is aimed at.

Work Sheet

1. Keeping in mind all the indicators with regard to audience types

and the kind of information that needs to go into a document,

make a list of points that is required to analyze your audience.

Create a power point presentation of the standard audience

adaptations with tips and hints.



2. Create a comprehensive audience profile sheet and then find a

target audience to populate the same.



Exercise 4 Research Interviews

Objective: The idea behind this exercise is to be able to communicate with

the Subject Matter Expert (SME) and get from him all the information

needed for the document to be written. From pandering egos to adding a

detail that no one ever has found before, it’s the SME who holds the key to

the excellence of the subject. One way to get the best answers is to put

yourself in the experts’ shoes. What would make you give your best is most

probably what works here. So give it your best shot. And never forget to do

your homework.


identify appropriate SME

acquire information by conducting interview effectively

Know your SME

All SMEs come with certain character traits that can be associated with an

expert in any field: Intellectually competitive, someone who would trade

simplicity for control, someone who enjoys mastering complexity, and with a

look down attitude over the lesser mortals, but you need to know how to

conduct an interview with the expert and get the best for your document.

Preparing for the SME interview – What you need to know:

1. Define your objectives: Define the purpose and objective of the

interview. What information are you looking for? Is it to do with problem

solving or more information or the latest in that field? This will help you

set the scope for the interview as well as the level of information you

require while setting questions.

2. Research the subject matter: Do your homework, read all the material

you can on the subject and on the SME. This will not only give you an

idea on what questions to ask and where are the gaps in knowledge

while writing your document. It will also help you understand your SME

better, helping you ask the right questions, the right way.

3. Be on time: Show respect not just for the SME’s busy schedule but

also for yourself. Make this a habit of the lifetime and it will stand you in

good stead. Arriving on time not just makes a good impression but

shows that you are credible and professional, who is more than capable

of handling expert information.



4. Use active listening skills: Pay attention, don’t just hear… listen. This

is very important and you will be subconsciously processing and

analyzing the information that you already have. Listening facilitates

analysis and helps you ask credible questions.

5. Ask open ended questions: Well, you don’t really want a yes and no

answers from your SME, unless you are confirming something. SME

interviews call for open ended questions, which tap the brains of the

expert, coaxing him to give you more than he wants to.

6. Use critical thinking to identify missing links: Never forget that you

are a credible technical writer, who is well on the way to being the SME

in the future. Active listening and open ended questions fuel the

analysis of facts in your mind, automatically letting you sift through what

has been said and what is missing.

7. Don’t make promises you are not authorized to make: Do not

promise a draft or the finished product on a certain date to the SME

unless you are authorized to make that promise or if you have already

spoken to your manager. Never set unrealistic expectations unless you

have what it takes to back it up.

8. Ask for permission to follow up: An interview is never over until the

document is written and unless you are superhuman you cannot

anticipate all the questions before beforehand, during an interview. The

actual test is when you are writing the document. Ask for SME’s

permission for a follow up with a question or additional information.

9. After the interview: They say working on the job at hand while it is

fresh on the mind is the best tip ever. Also listing what you have learnt

new, what you have confirmed and last but not the least the questions

you still have on your mind would be a good yardstick.



Work Sheet

1. Write a document on the product of your choice, identify the SME

and conduct an interview, keeping in mind all the points identified

and detailed above.



Exercise 5 Technical Writing Structure

Objective: The idea behind this exercise is to be able to describe the

chosen subject in terms of structure and function. This point would be the

foundation on which technical writing lies.


identify the importance of information structure and organize information.

Data Without Structure

You should be able to identify the structure in which the data should flow.

What is most important versus what is most useful. Generally, warnings

come first. Most wordy and flowery introductions are a waste of time for the

technical reader, they do not tend to read from start to finish but look for

information chunks, which tell them what not to do or what to do.

Descriptions vs Instructions – Understanding the role:

1. Title or section heading: If the description of the item is to be a

separate document, give it a title. If it is to be a part of the body, give it a

section heading. Be crystal clear regarding how you want the

information.

2. General introduction: This will provide the reader with the general

information of the product or mechanism, which he will need to

understand the detailed information that will follow. It will clue him in as

to what he is getting into.

3. Part by part description: This is a very important part of the document;

it will give the reader an itemized description as well as the function and

instructions with regard to that particular part. This needs to include

function, operating principles, warnings, appearance and all its uses.

4. Conclusion: As is with the introduction, there is no need for an

elaborate conclusion. This part needs to be brief and could make an

interesting observation with regard to the product. Briefly summarize or

characterize the item in the conclusion without interfering with the flow

of the document.



Work Sheet

1. Choose an object or subject of your choice and in detail describe

its parts and functions. Ex TV, shoe, torch, baby’s diaper among

others.



Exercise 6 Technical Writing Style

Objective: The idea behind this exercise is to be able to structure the

technical documents, write the documents in a concise style, and construct

unambiguous and clear sentences, while avoiding commonly made

mistakes. You will learn that technical writing is all about adopting a style

that would be understood by even a layman.


Create a style sheet for technical writing

Concise Communication

From a malt drink to the over-the-counter tablets that we buy, everything

comes with a literature, which needs to minimize jargon so as to be

understood by all. Therefore, it is essential for you to develop a simple and

lucid style of writing. A document should be written in such a way that it

does justice to the spirit of conciseness, clarity and comprehensiveness.

Crystal clear writing – Sentence construction

1. Word order: Using the right words in the right place. The easiest rule

you could follow is to place the word or phrase as close as possible to

the other word or phrase related to it in meaning or grammar.

2. Ambiguity: This is something that you need to avoid, if you want your

sentence to make perfect sense. Words must be placed in such a way

so as to give meaning to a varying range of elements within the

sentence.

3. Brevity: Remember that no one really has the time to read long winding

sentences in literature. Keep wordiness at bay and say exactly what you

have to say and not a word more.

4. Use lists: Lists are useful tools to shorten the length of your sentences.

They help the user focus on what needs to be done.

5. Focus on action words: Action words or verbs speak louder than

anything else. Don’t express it with nouns : words that end with suffixes

like –sion, -tion, -ment, -ing, -ion, -ance.



6. Emphasize the most important data: Placing the most important data

in the right place in a sentence will help you shorten the length of the

sentence.

7. Express parallel elements in parallel structure: The coordinating

elements in a sentence should be stated in the same grammatical form.

The sentence you create should have a sustained recognizable pattern.

Guidelines to clear and specific writing

1. Use active voice

2. Use present tense

3. Use direct speech

4. Use specific words

5. Avoid unnecessary jargon

6. Use positive constructions

7. Avoid long noun strings

8. Avoid pompous words

Work Sheet

1. Create a style sheet incorporating all the points vital to technical

writing.



2. Write a short and precise literature with regard to the use of any

over the counter medication.



3. Most articles of writing follow either the British or the American

English. The idea here is to know enough what goes where. It is

important that the writer learns and adheres to what differentiates

the two. List 25 examples for differences between British and

American English.



Exercise 7 Technical Communication Editing

Objective: The idea behind this exercise is to be able to learn the role of a

technical editor, understand and appreciate the tasks performed by the

editor and learn and memorize the proofreading symbols and abbreviations.

The technical writing editor does not change the style of the writer, but plays

a role where he/she ensures that the rules of technical writing are followed.


edit a technical document

Types of Editing

Technical writing is all about conveying the right amount of information in as

less words as possible. Clarity, precision and brevity are its key indicators. A

technical editor checks the document for organization and content,

otherwise called as macro editing, as well as for phrasing, grammar and

punctuation, which is micro editing.

Proof Reading

Proof readers concentrate mainly on three areas, which need to be

checked for accuracy and precision. It is important that a technical

document be proof read because it is meant to be read and understood by

the target audience.

1. Content: The content of a technical document needs to be checked

against a reliable reference for accuracy. Inconsistencies in data should

be paid special attention to.

2. Spelling: Misspellings are the most obvious and the most irritating

errors in any document and double checking is necessary to avoid

these. The sentences should be checked for context as well as spelling.

3. Mistake checklist: Editors must pay minute attention to mistakes in

grammar, punctuation, language used and tenses. Accuracy of titles,

headings and illustration captions, usage of proper nouns,

completeness of the document must be checked without fail.



Work Sheet

1. Create a table with all the proofreading symbols that a technical

editor uses.



2. Apply the rules and symbols of technical editing on the document

given below:

The textbooks market does not operate according to the same

economic principles as a normal consumer market. First, the end

consumers (students) do not select the product, and the people

choosing the product (faculty) do not purchase the product.

Therefore, price is removed from the purchasing decision, giving

the producer (publishers) disproportionate market power to set

prices high.

This fundamental flaw in the market is blamed as the primary

reason that prices are out of control. The term "Broken Market" first

appeared in Economist James Koch's analysis of the market

commissioned by the Advisory Committee on Student Financial

Assistance. [1]

This situation is exacerbated by the lack of competition in the

textbook market. Consolidation in the past few decades has

reduced the number of major textbook companies from around 30

to just a handful. [2] Consequently, there is less competition than

there used to be, and the high cost of starting up keeps new

companies from entering.

Students seek relief from rising prices through the purchase of

used copies of textbooks, which tend to be less expensive. Most

college bookstores offer used copies of textbooks at lower prices.

Most bookstores will also buy used copies back from students at

the end of a term if the book is going to be re-used at the school.

Books that are not being re-used at the school are often purchased

by an off-campus wholesaler for 0-30% of the new cost, for

distribution to other bookstores where the books will be sold.

Students who look beyond the campus bookstore can typically find

lower prices. With the ISBN or title, author and edition, most

textbooks can be located through online used book sellers or

retailers.



Most leading textbook companies publish a new edition every 3 or

4 years, more frequently in math & science. Harvard economics

chair James K. Stock has stated that new editions are often not

about significant improvements to the content. "New editions are to

a considerable extent simply another tool used by publishers and

textbook authors to maintain their revenue stream, that is, to keep

up prices," [3] A study conducted by The Student PIRGs found that

a new edition costs 12% more than a new copy of previous edition,

and 58% more than a used copy of the previous edition. Textbook

publishers maintain these new editions are driven by faculty

demand. The Student PIRGs' study found that 76% of faculty said

new editions were justified “half of the time or less” and 40% said

they were justified “rarely” or “never.” [4] The PIRG study has been

criticized by publishers, who argue that the report contains factual

inaccuracies regarding the annual average cost of textbooks per

student. [5]

The Student PIRGs also point out that recent emphasis on

electronic textbooks, or "eTextbooks," does not always save

students money. Even though the book costs less up-front, the

student will not recover any of the cost through resale. [6]



Exercise 8 Systems Development Life Cycle

Objective: The idea behind this exercise is to be able to identify the phases

in System Development Life Cycle, which relates to models and

methodologies that people use to develop systems, generally computer

systems. You will also be able to compare the strengths and weaknesses of

SDLC.


develop your own SDLC model.

SDLC overview

SDLC is a conceptual model used in project management that describes the

stages involved in an information system development project from an initial

feasibility study through maintenance of a completed application.

SDLC phases

Various SDLC methodologies have been developed to guide the process

involved and have a standard 6-step phase.

1. Feasibility: The feasibility study is done to understand and determine if

the project should get the go ahead. If it’s a yes, then the study will

produce a project plan and budget estimates for the future stages of

development.

2. Analysis: The analysis phase gathers the requirement for the system.

It includes a detailed study of the business needs of the organization.

3. Design: Design focuses on high level needs like what programs are

needed and how they are going to interact including low-level (how the

individual programs are going to work), interface (how the interfaces are

going to look like) and data design (what data will be required)

4. Implementation: During this phase, the designs are translated into

code, and programs are written using a conventional programming

language or an application generator.

5. Testing: In this phase, the system is tested. Normally, the programs are

written in a series of individual modules, which are subjected to a

detailed testing and then the separate modules are brought together

and the system is tested as a whole.



6. Maintenance: All systems invariably need maintenance. Software

changes under many circumstances, including unexpected value inputs

and therefore, needs to be developed in order to accommodate

changes.

Work Sheet

1. Develop your own SDLC model with details on each phase on a

project of your choice.



Exercise 9 Technical Communication Ethics

Objective: The idea behind this exercise is to be able to identify the role of

ethics in technical communication and be able to judge the good and the

bad. Isn’t life all about ethics and commandments? The ones you choose to

follow personally may not matter here, but technical writing is quite rigid

when it comes to ethics.


analyse the status of ethics in technical writing

Legal vs Ethical

What’s ethical is not necessarily legal. Law is a system of rules, enforced

through a set of institutions used as an instrument to help the good stay

good and the bad down where it belongs. Legal systems elaborate rights

and responsibilities in a variety of ways, while ethics is a major branch of

philosophy encompassing right conduct and good life. Ethics is a study of

what is right and good usually involving a deciding course of action in a

dilemma offering several possibilities. Ethical issues in technical

communication involve:

1. Plagiarism vs proper credit: Using somebody else’s work to support

one’s point in communication is allowed, provided that the person gets

credit for the work that has been done. Stealing someone else’s work is

not just ethically wrong but is also illegal when it can be proved.

2. Work ethics and harassment: Fair workplace is a basic human right

and harassment or discrimination based on gender or any other

premises is ethical, legal offence.

3. Malicious actions: It is human to err. The idea is to never jump into

the conclusion that an action, no matter how awful, was deliberate,

unless proved otherwise. But always remember that truth is clear-cut:

Do not falsify data or state something as truth when you know it is

not.

Do not deliberately misinterpret, misrepresent facts.

Distinguish between facts and opinions.

Do not assume that the expert is always right, double check.



Work Sheet

1. Using a case in point, anything that has been in the news with

regard to ethical right or wrong, analyze why that case is ethically

right or wrong.

Ex: Film maker Madhur Bhandarkar’s case with the starlet.

Fashion Designer Anand Jon and his case.



Exercise 10 Grammar intel

Objective: The idea behind this exercise is about reiterating the correct

grammar usage while writing. This exercise is more of a refresher course

and the powerpoint deck you will create as part of the exercise will come in

handy at all points of your career. Consider it a future investment.


identify and use correct grammar while writing for technical document

All about grammar

At this stage it’s not about what you know and what you don’t know, its

about double checking that what you know is the standard. This is where a

ready reckoner comes in handy. So go corporate and create a power point

deck with cards for each question, concise, precise and to the point. Use

the internet or grammar text books or anything that is handy to help you

finish this super-interesting exercise.

Work Sheet

1. Create an interesting power point deck incorporating all the

grammar set points given below. This is your chance to get

creative and give a personal touch to something that needs to stay

with you all through your writing career. Make it funny, make it

serious, use cartoons, thought balloons, family trees anything that

helps you remember and understand better.

Types of nouns with examples for each.

Articles used in English language with examples.

Types of pronouns with examples.

Prepositions and relations expressed by prepositions.

Categorize verbs and explain the relationship between verbs

and tenses with examples.

Types of Adjectives with examples for correct usage.



What are adverbs, list of types of adverbs with usage.

What are conjunctions, list the classes with appropriate

examples.

What is an injunction, make a deck with examples.

What is a sentence, list out types of sentences with

examples.

What is a clause? List out types with example.



Exercise 11 Writing Datasheet

Objective: This exercise will help you learn how to write a datasheet, the

basics, the concept and the general format used to write a datasheet.


write a datasheet for any product

All about the datasheet

A datasheet must summarize the product or a system in its entirety in such

a way so as to give the readers a picture of what the product can do, its

range, interest them enough to buy the product or interest them into getting

more detail.

A datasheet must list facts and figures.

Must have a factual tone and must contain hard data.

It is important that you understand the audience before writing the

datasheet. A general user may look at the benefits, while a highly

technical audience would prefer to look at specifications.

Every datasheet must contain the following elements

1. Description: It is vital that a datasheet start with a precise and concise

description of the product.

2. Visual element: A visual element is a must and it could be anything

including a snapshot, diagram, schematic representation among others.

3. Key features and benefits: The users will mostly go straight to this

point and therefore this is the most important aspect of the datasheet.

Normally, three key features and three benefits are considered ideal.

4. Specifications: Specifications of the product needs to be included for

both hardware and software packages. It is important that the features,

which set the product from competitors are highlighted.

5. Requirements: List all the software and hardware that is required to

support your product.

6. Contact Information: Have all the contact information at the bottom of

the datasheet including copyright and trademark information.



Sample Datasheet:



Work Sheet

1. Write a datasheet for a product of your choice ex: cell phone,

camera, television etc.



Exercise 12 Brochure Writing

Objective: The idea behind this exercise is to learn to write a brochure. It

involves the points that need to be focused on while writing a brochure. The

most important thing to understand about brochure writing is that it is not

about information, but about persuasion. A brochure provides a larger

canvas to persuade people to learn more about or buy what is being sold.


write a brochure.

How to write a brochure

Brochure writing is more of an art meets. It gives the writer an opportunity

not only to display his creative ideas and flowery vocabulary, but also the

innate intelligence and marketing ability needed to sell a product or service.

A brochure must present information both clearly and convincingly,

following a strategically sound persuasive structure.

The cover should present the idea and not just the product name.

The brochure copy should be aimed at the customer and not at talking

about the product.

The brochure should address the needs of the customer before moving

on to the features and benefits of the product.

The brochure should focus more on the benefits of the product and then

on the features.

Remember that the customer needs to relate to the product or service.

The brochure must answer all the questions that they have.

The brochure is not a datasheet and should not weigh heavy on

technical points. The technical information is better integrated into the

brochure as a visual point, in a snapshot, diagram or schematic

representation.



Sample Brochure



Work Sheet

1. Write a brochure on your chosen subject, product or service for

ex: Travel brochure, Restaurant brochure or a Resort brochure.



Exercise 13 Writing Business Plan

Objective: The idea behind this exercise is to learn to write a business plan,

which is a formal statement of a set of business goals. The statements

range from organizational mission to financial goals to what the company

expects to do and be.


write a business plan

Writing a business plan

A professional business plan is a reiteration of your intention to start a

business. The business plan must outline your goals, expected costs,

marketing plan and exit strategy. A business plan draws up the path, which

your business is expected to follow. It summarizes business needs and

outlines goals and objectives.

A standard business plan should include the following elements:

Organization’s mission statement

Formal statement of business goals

Milestones

Financial goals and statement

Description of the business

Work Sheet

1. Write a business plan to start up a company including all the

standard elements.



Exercise 14 Writing Abstract

Objective: The idea behind this exercise is to learn to write an abstract,

which essentially is a brief summary or a condensed report of anything

written in detail. The abstract is meant to give the reader a quick idea of

what the in-depth paper is all about, thus entice the user into reading the

entire report.


Abstract writing

Abstracts are part and parcel of a technical writer’s career and condensing

any articles into a single paragraph or into a limited word section without

losing the essence of the report is a work of art. An abstract can be written

on just about anything from a heavy research article to a novel. It acts as a

point of entry to any kind of a write-up. The typical length runs from 100 to

500 words and hardly runs for more than a page.

The abstract needs to focus on 5 sections:

Focus/Background: The most important part of the report, the most

interesting quote of the article, the best part of a novel, anything can make

the opening lines of the abstract.

Excerpts: Storyline of the novel or parts of the research including problems

faced, methodology followed, make the body of the abstract.

Conclusions: A brief review as to what the results of the paper has been or

conclusions of the report make the tail end of the abstract.



Work Sheet

1. Write an abstract on the attached report

U.N. issues landmark report on global warming

VALENCIA, Spain – Global warming is “unequivocal” and carbon

dioxide already in the atmosphere commits the world to sea levels

rising an average of up to 4.6 feet, the world’s top climate experts

warned Saturday in their most authoritative report to date.

“Only urgent, global action will do,” said U.N. Secretary – General

Ban Ki-Moon, calling on the United States and China – the world’s

two biggest polluters – to do more to slow global climate change. “I

look forward to seeing the U.S. and China playing a more

constructive role,” Ban told reporters. “Both countries can lead in

their own way.”

Ban, however, advised against assigning blame. Climate change

imperils “the most precious treasures of our planet,” he said, and

the effects are “so severe and so sweeping that only urgent global

action will do. We are all in this together. We must work together.”

Islands, coastlines, species imperiled

According to the U.N. panel of scientists, whose latest report is a

synthesis of three previous ones, enough carbon dioxide already

has built up that it imperils islands, coastlines and a fifth to two-

thirds of the world’s species.

As early as 2020, 75 million to 250 million people in Africa will

suffer water shortages, residents of Asia’s large cities will be at

great risk of river and coastal flooding, according to the report.

Europeans can expect extensive species loss, and North

Americans will experience longer and hotter heat waves and

greater competition for water, says the report from the U.N.

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which shared the

Nobel Prize with Al Gore this year.

The panel portrays the Earth hurtling toward a warmer climate at a

quickening pace and warns of inevitable human suffering. It says



emissions of carbon, mainly from fossil fuels, must stabilize by

2015 and go down after that.

In the best-case scenario, temperatures will keep rising from

carbon already in the atmosphere, the report said. Even if factories

were shut down today and cars taken off the roads, the average

sea level will reach as high as 4.6 feet above that in the

preindustrial period, or about 1850.

“We have already committed the world to sea level rise,” the

panel’s chairman, Rajendra Pachauri, said. But if the Greenland

ice sheet melts, the scientists said, they could not predict by how

many feet the seas will rise, drowning coastal cities.

Climate change is here, they said, as witnessed by melting snow

and glaciers, higher average temperatures and rising sea levels. If

unchecked, global warming will spread hunger and disease, put

further stress on water resources, cause fiercer storms and more

frequent droughts, and could drive up to 70 percent of plant and

animal species to extinction, according to the panel’s report.

The report was adopted after five days of sometimes tense

negotiations among 140 national delegations. It lays out blueprints

for avoiding the worst catastrophes – and various possible

outcomes, depending on how quickly and decisively action is

taken.

“The world’s scientists have spoken clearly and with one voice,”

Ban said, looking ahead to an important climate conference in Bali,

Indonesia, next month. “I expect the world’s policy makers to do

the same.”



Exercise 15 Writing Project Report

Objective: The idea behind this exercise is to learn to write a good project

report. It must be remembered that a project report is an academic

dissertation, which you will be graded on and not a light article.


write a project report

Elements of a project report

A project report contains not just a routine information, but also analysis of

the subject involved. The writer must establish criteria, present arguments,

work out principles, pose questions and arrive at well thought out answers,

analyze alternatives and so on.

Typically a project report must have the following elements:

Title

Abstract

Acknowledgements

Table of Contents

List of Tables

List of Figures

List of Symbols and Abbreviations

Introduction: Here the chosen topic is highlighted and its importance

discussed.

Review of Literature: Work done on the topic by the previous

researchers is debated.

Methods and Materials / Methodology: The quality of the methodology

employed is important and the report is judged on it.

Results and Discussion: Procedures in the methodology section,

obtained results and data collected will be contained here in addition to

appropriate statistical analyses.

Summary and Conclusions: The conclusion will be brought to sharp

focus and makes for easy reading.

Appendices: Appendices are the sections used for giving supplementary

information, thereby not to cluster the main chapters.



References and Bibliography: References are works directly referred to

or quoted from in the text of the report, while Bibliography is the list of

works consulted or used for the project work.

Work Sheet

1. Write a project report on the project of your choice, involving all the

elements.



Exercise 16 Writing Instruction Manual

Objective: The idea behind this exercise is to learn to write a simple

instruction manual, which is a part and parcel of everyday life.


write an instruction manual on the usage of any product

Writing the instruction manual

An instruction manual is something that a user takes for granted, and is part

of the literature that accompanies a product or a service. An instruction

manual is one of the most important documents involved in our daily life.

The instruction manual should not be complicated and overwhelming. It

must be made as simple as possible.

The instruction manual must involve the following elements:

Concept: Depending on the complexity of the product or service about to be

described from how to play the guitar to assembling of a toy plane, the

reader must get the concept and the description first.

Requirements: Logic is the mainstay of any instruction manual and must

list the items required to assemble the unit of usage

Break up: Step by step instructions in small and easy bullet pointed

sentences make more sense to the reader

Do it yourself: If the manual is for an assembly or a recipe or self learning,

the writer must first apply the instructions and ensure that the manual is

understood and produces the expected result.

Simpler the better: The manual is about simplicity, precision and

conciseness. There is neither the need nor the patience on the part of the

reader for flowery or complicated language.



Work Sheet

1. Write a simple instruction manual on the usage of any of the

following products ex., matchbox, gas stove, iron box, etc.



Acknowledgments, References & Suggested Readings:

1. Bowles, Dorptju A. & Borden, Diane L. (2000). Creative Editing, U.S.A:

Wadsworth Thomson Learning.

2. Graham, B. (2001). "Identity crisis: the persona as a tool for formulating

and evaluating information design." Presentation (progression) at the

48th Society for Technical Communication Conference, 13-16 May

2001, Chicago, IL.

3. Ham, G.A. (1998). Four roads to use case discovery. There is a use

(and a case) for each one." www.stsc.hill.af.mil/crosstalk/1998/

dec/ham.asp

4. Hart, G. J. (2001). "Audience analysis: looking beyond the superficial."

p. 105-107 in: proceedings, STC 48th Annual Conference, 13-16 May

2001, Chicago, Ill. Soc. Tech. Comm., Arlington, Virg. 608 p.

5. Markel, Mike. Technical Communication, Situation and Strategies, New

York: St. Martin Press.

6. Schriver, K.A. (1997). Dynamics in Document Desig, New York: John

Wiley and Sons, Inc.

7. Shouba, Terryl K. (1999). Bringing in the SMEs, Intercom, VA: STC

Arlington.

8. http://wwwold.ccc.commnet.edu/writing/symbols.htm

http://www.stsc.hill.af.mil/crosstalk/1998/

http://wwwold.ccc.commnet.edu/writing/symbols.htm

Writing for Media (Practical) Guidelines

Sikkim Manipal University Page No. i

Guidelines for Conducting Practical Exercises

‘Technical Communication (Practical)’ [BT 0084], is a two-credit practical

subject, which means you will have to do practical related activities for

60 hours. It contains 16 Exercises. Practical related details are given in

Table 1 and 2 (it covers titles of the exercises, duration and marks allotted

for each exercise).

Guided and Unguided Exercises

In this practical subject, there are 14 three hour sessions conducted

either continuously or scheduled as per the convenience of the

Learning Centers. The first 13 sessions (for about 39 hours) are set apart

for Guided Exercises (GE); during these sessions, 16 practical exercises

need to be finished. The session No. 14 is practice session where you can

repeat or practice any of the exercise already completed by you. In the

course of these exercises, the Learning Center Faculty will provide you

guidance, arrange for presentation (wherever necessary), and clarify your

doubts. You are required to study the contents of this book, follow the

instructions provided, and observe the demonstration Exercises, carry out

the Exercises (wherever instructed by the Learning Center Faculty and, as

per facilities available at your LC), prepare the Practical Journal (in the

format as required by LC; remember it is a activity record and do it

carefully) and submit the Practical Journal to your Learning Center Faculty.

Each Exercise has assessment component, which will be carried out by

your LC Faculty. Your attendance is compulsory for these Exercises.

The assessment during these 16 Guided exercises account for 70

marks (out of a total of 100 marks for two credit Practical subject). In

short, during these Guided Exercises, your Learning Center Faculty will offer

you guidance and perform assessment of your work.

On the day stipulated by the University, you have the last session (for about

3 hours), which is set apart for Unguided Exercise(s) (UGE), where one or

more Exercises from among the Exercises done earlier will be assigned to

you; you have to do the assigned Exercise(s) on your own without taking

help from your Learning Centre Faculty. The Unguided Exercise(s) is (are)

intended for practical examination; yes, there will be an External Examiner.

The Unguided Exercise(s) part carries 30 marks.


Sikkim Manipal University Page No. ii

To complete successfully the Technical Communication – Practical

(BT 0084), you have to score a combined average of 40% (i.e., 40 marks) in

both Guided and Unguided parts together and a minimum of 35% in each

part (i.e., 25 marks in Guided part and 11 marks in Unguided part). In case

of failure in either or both the parts, you have to redo the concerned part(s).

In the Worksheet of each Exercise, the specific details regarding the

practical exercises are given.

Table 1: Time Allotment for Practical Exercises of BT 0084

Time for counseling and hands on work during Guided exercises : 42 hrs

Time for reading the material and other practical related work : 15 hrs

Time for Un-guided Exercise(s): : 3 hrs

(As per 2 credit norms Total Time) 60 hrs

Title(s) Session

No.(s)

Time in

Hours

I Introduction 1 30 mins

II Guided Exercises

Exercise 1 – Technical Writer 1 1 hr

Exercise 2 – Technical Writing 1 1.5 hrs

Exercise 3 – Audience Analysis 2 3 hrs

Exercise 4 – Research Interviews 3 2 hrs

Exercise 5 – Technical Writing Structure 3 1 hr

Exercise 6 – Technical Writing Style 4 2 hrs

Exercise 7 – Technical Communication Editing 4 1 hr

Exercise 8 – Systems Development Life Cycle 5 1 hr

Exercise 9 – Technical Communication Ethics 5 2 hrs

Exercise 10 – Grammar Intel 6 + 7 6 hrs

Exercise 11 – Writing Datasheet 8 3 hrs

Exercise 12 – Brochure Writing 9 3 hrs

Exercise 13 – Writing Business Plan 10 1.5 hrs

Exercise 14 – Writing Abstract 10 1.5 hrs

Exercise 15 – Writing Project Report 11 3 hrs

Exercise 16 – Writing Instruction Manual 12 + 13 6 hrs

Practice Session 14 3 hrs

III Assigned Unguided Exercises (Conducted by the External Examiner)

3 hrs


Sikkim Manipal University Page No. iii

Table 2: Exercise wise break up of marks for Reporting (BJ 0032)

Details Marks

I Guided Exercises 70 marks

Guided Exercises Break Up

Exercise 1 – Technical Writer 4

Exercise 2 – Technical Writing 3

Exercise 3 – Audience Analysis 5

Exercise 4 – Research Interviews 5

Exercise 5 – Technical Writing Structure 5

Exercise 6 – Technical Writing Style 5

Exercise 7 – Technical Communication Editing 6

Exercise 8 – Systems Development Life Cycle 3

Exercise 9 – Technical Communication Ethics 4

Exercise 10 – Grammar Intel 4

Exercise 11– Writing Datasheet 4

Exercise 12 – Brochure Writing 4

Exercise 13 – Writing Business Plan 4

Exercise 14 – Writing Abstract 4

Exercise 15 – Writing Project Report 5

Exercise 16 – Writing Instruction Manual 5

II Assigned Unguided Exercises (Conducted by the External Examiner)

30 marks

Total practical marks for BT 0084 – Technical Communication – Practical

100 marks

Technical Communication (Practical) Model Question Paper


Model Question Paper

(For Final Practical Examination)

Technical Communication (Practical) [BT 0084]

Total Marks : 30 Duration : 3 hours

A. Practical Question/Assignment (Un-Guided Exercise) : 15 Marks

1. Manipal Education Limited, Manipal has decided to establish a

computer center to train its employees in using modern means of

recording, storing, retrieving and transmitting information. You have

recently been employed by the company to set up this centre and

then to train its employees in using the computer facilities for day to

day operations. Write a technical proposal, containing a

comprehensive plan for setting up this centre and training the

employees. The proposal is to be submitted to the Vice-President

(Engineering).

2. Write a technical description of using a semi-automatic washing

machine. : 05 Marks

B. Practical Journal/ Record Book : 05 Marks

C. Viva-Voce : 05 Marks

___________________________________

* The number of questions and distribution of marks in the model are flexible and could be

altered as per the necessity.

bt 0084 technical communication (practical)...

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